ANCHORED among other frigates from other parts of the world, at Australian Navy Cockle Bay in the shadows of the iconic Opera House, the NNS THUNDER, with the Nigerian flag fluttering proudly in the gentle wind, was a sight to behold. Capt Clement Atebi the Commanding Officer of the NNS THUNDER, in his sparkling white Navy uniform, stood exchanging courtesies with visitors.
“Incredible! You mean this is a Nigerian Navy Ship?” Steve Doug, one of the Australian visitors on board NNS THUNDER that eventful Sunday afternoon of 6th October, asked.
NNS THUNDER was in Australia to participate in Australia’s International Fleet Review and Sea Power Conference to mark 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy. It was the first time a Nigerian Naval vessel was coming into Australian iaters. It therefore attracted considerable interest amongst Australians.
The presence of NNS THUNDER was indeed a pointer to the fact Nigeria remains a maritime power in the West African sub-region and Africa. And our dear country whose armed forces and Navy have done so much through UN peace keeping operations in our sub-region pursuit and other parts of the world. The Nigerian Navy has rendered over five decades of distinguished service to Nigeria, protecting our maritime environment. It is also the most powerful in West Africa and helped to ensure peace and stability we enjoy in West Africa today!
Certainly the entire sojourn of NNS THUNDER and its crew in Australian waters was a moment of pride; a golden opportunity to showcase and appreciate Nigeria as a maritime power. For many, the closest experience of life on a naval vessel is through TV documentaries.
Therefore, coming on board the THUNDER was a first and real life experience of seeing the vessel not just as a war machine on the sea with complete modern communication equipment, but also a little town on its own; one which boast of an exercise bay, a clinic, a helicopter landing pad, a modern kitchen from where a complete range of delicious Nigerian culinary delight from Edikaikong to Tuwo shinkafa and Ogbono can be prepared and washed down with Nigerian beer and palm wine!
So impressed was the President of the Nigerian Association of New South Wales of Sydney, Dr (Mrs) Olayide Ogunsiji, a Nigerian lecturer resident in Sydney, that she effusively affirmed from the deck of the vessel “our Association must give our naval officers something special for making us proud here in Australia.” And they did present some mementos to the crew before the vessel sailed from Sydney.
The Sydney International Fleet Review was not only an event to parade a flotilla of naval vessels from over 30 nations; the International Sea Power Conference was equally of significance and deserves close attention of any maritime nation. Happily, our naval officers participated actively and contributed significantly to discussions during the conference.
The Navy’s delegation to the Fleet Review was led by our affable, intellectually savvy and admirable Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the Chief of Navy. The Conference provided opportunities for discussions and exchange of experiences by chiefs of navies and top naval fleet commanders from over thirty major maritime powers including the US, China, India, South Africa, etc.
Topics discussed included Naval Diplomacy and Regional Power Projections, Role of Sea Power and Regional and Global Security, Combating Piracy and Local and International Terrorism, Securing Sea Trading Routes, Budget Pressure and other challenges facing navies across the world, etc.
Today, piracy on the high seas has become a global problem costing the global economy as much as USD$12 billion a year. It has also been recognized that concerted vigorous global action by naval forces across the world is required to curb the activities of pirates; illegal drug and people smugglers.
The event therefore provided opportunities for participating maritime powers including Nigeria, to share experiences and proffer solutions for the challenges of littoral nations with vast coastlines. The deliberations demonstrated that if our interconnected but troubled world, is to find solution to many of its problems, our Navies have important roles to play.
Apart from the opportunity of training for the officers and ratings, what exactly was the meaning of the presence of the NNS THUNDER in Australia? It is important to take a cursory look at this dimension of the visit of the NNS THUNDER to Australia since it may not be too obvious to everyone. It is also necessary to disabuse the minds of our compatriots who are ever quick, cavalierly, to dismiss our foreign policy thrust, posture and international engagements.
It is widely acknowledged worldwide, that among the various arms of the armed forces, the navy and naval ships in particular are best placed to project the diplomatic credentials of any country. Frigates, aircraft carriers, and other visiting naval vessels are essentially floating diplomatic Missions. Any naval vessel is a physical representation of any country at sea or any port where is anchored naval officers and ratings in their usual pristine brilliant white ceremonial uniforms-usually a sight to behold-provoke the question “where are they from?””
In other words, naval vessels, such as the NNS THUNDER, undeniably serve as an effective instrument for naval diplomacy and projection of soft power. The NNS THUNDER while in Australia did as much and even more during the Sydney International Fleet Review. For us in the Mission tucked away in our quiet little corner in Canberra, the presence of the ship and women and men of our navy in their sparkling naval uniform was a thing of pride. Their presence and that of the Chief of Naval Staff and his team helped to shore up our efforts with the Nigerian community to project a more positive image of our country and combat the negative stereotypes.
Today, the importance of our navy can never be more obvious. Safe passage at the Gulf of Guinea is now a must since our entire region and countries rely heavily on secure shipment of our oil and other commodities. Certainly at the Sydney Sea Power conference, the problems of our maritime environment which are similar to those of other maritime nations received a lot of attention with various policy recommendations.
We also shared our experiences and the experiences of Nigeria’s delegation were good inputs. It was therefore our men and women were here with the NNS THUNDER and also to be part of that debate and the fleet review. Mr. President’s approval for the Nigerian Navy to participate in the Australian Fleet Review must, therefore, be applauded.
The Australian Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, while chatting with his counterpart, Vice Admiral Ezeoba, stated: “Thank you for bringing the THUNDER here. Your presence indeed added a lot of value to this fleet review. We certainly have a lot to learn from each other.” Australian Minister of Defence, the Honourable Senator David Johnston, also echoed similar sentiments. He was full of praises for the NNS THUNDER and the professional conduct of its crew during the entire Fleet Review.
